The Mets get a trade deadline grade of an F for this forgotten deal

When we look back at what the New York Mets did at this year’s trade deadline, there are a lot of good grades. A lot of it has to do with the strong performance by multiple players in the postseason. Jesse Winker was their best hitter. Ryne Stanek was their best reliever.

A few of the other trade deadline deals the Mets made were a bit more subpar. Included is one trade you might have completely forgotten about.

On a very busy July 30 trade deadline day, the Mets snagged Tyler Zuber from the Tampa Bay Rays. Zero big league appearances for the Mets, this trade has early makings of being a big mistake.

Why the Mets trade deadline deal for Tyler Zuber deserves an F

Let’s begin with Zuber. He probably won’t be back next year. He lacks minor league options. Along with this, he put together a terrible stretch in Syracuse. He went from a 2.49 ERA with the Durham Bulls to a 12.38 ERA performance for the Mets’ Triple-A squad. He walked 8.4 batters per 9. He allowed 15.8 walks per 9, too.

Anything and everything that could have gone awry for Zuber did in his 16 innings with the Mets organization. The quietest of the deadline moves made by the Mets, the scary part is they might have actually given up something pretty good for him.

Paul Gervase was the prospect swapped for Zuber. A 12th round draft pick in 2022, he began to make a name for himself in 2022. Gervase overachieved in relief when he pitched to a 2.05 ERA in High-A and Double-A. He was 3-2 with a 3.25 ERA for Binghamton at the time of the trade and continued to perform well with the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits.

Gervase did have a familiar issue during his time with the Mets: walks. He issued 6.6 per 9 in 2023. It was at 5.5 this season. However, the switch to the Rays tapped into more control. He walked only 1.5 batters per 9 while actually increasing his strikeout rate from an incredible 15 per 9 to an even more astonishing 15.8. Although the ERA ticked up after the trade deadline, his WHIP dropped from 1.19 to 0.79.

All trades come with some risk. In this case, it looks like an unnecessary trigger to have pulled. There was never much of a need for Zuber who never did get promoted to the big leagues after. Is Gervase on the cusp of becoming the next great Rays reliever? Early returns are favorable and could have us looking back at this trade as the most superfluous the team has made.